Identification
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that identification of a person or electronic apparatus is an extremely large problem. Simple bar and QR codes may be employed, but these are able to be easily copied and distributed, providing no real security of the identification of a user. The use of permanently fixed tags or the like has also been recognized by the inventors of the present invention as being a problem, as in once compromised, there is no method for adjusting the identification information. Furthermore, there is no method for increasing the complexity of the image, or adding additional information at different resolutions of such a code.
Existing Identification Technologies
There are several technologies that have been employed for identification, electronic or otherwise. An example is radio frequency identification which uses electronic devices to track and identify items, by assigning individual serial numbers to the containers holding each product. Other more traditional systems may be applied to such object identification, such as barcoding being provided on packaging or on the actual device (either one or two dimensional). For such a use, however, any damage to the barcode, difficulty in printing the barcode (such as deformation based upon printing surface), or obscuring a portion of the barcode may render the barcode inoperative. Additionally, once imprinted on the device, there is no method or ability to update or change the identifying marker.
While one or two dimensional barcodes have been used as serial identifying elements, as recognized by the inventors of the present invention, their designs are relatively easy to replicate, require fixed surface areas and specific alignment for printing, and are rendered unusable if occlusion occurs due to handling or if the barcode is damaged. During such a use, as noted, any damage to the barcode, difficulty in printing the barcode (such as deformation based upon printing surface), or obscuring a portion of the barcode may render the barcode inoperative. Additionally, barcodes may be easily copied and applied to counterfeit objects. None of these systems are sufficient for imparting robust identification information to an object. While holographic printing on hang tags and the like has been employed in an effort to mark various objects, and to perhaps stop counterfeiting of these objects, these tags may be removed and possibly copied as printing on a single tag may not be seen as a particularly difficult deterrent. Thus, not only is secure identification impossible, varying levels of desired security cannot be employed.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus that overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.